HIPAA-Compliant Mobile Application Best Practices Five concerns to address when using a mobile application in the healthcare industry New technologies are constantly changing the way we work. Mobile technologies have enabled us to work from anywhere on almost any task, as well as access files and data no matter how far we are from our desks. However, this easy access could quickly create a dangerous situation where private and sensitive information is made available to those who shouldn’t be able to view it. To make sure that this doesn’t happen during HIPAA-compliant app development, take these considerations in mind when developing your mobile applications and making sure that they are HIPAA compliant. Data Sanitization How your data is used and stored on an application and mobile device can greatly affect the security of your information. The local data storage on a mobile device should never contain a patient’s sensitive information such as name, date of birth, and address. There also needs to be a protocol in place in the event of a mobile device being lost or stolen. Data sanitization software needs to be installed on all mobile devices that will be using the application so you can remotely wipe the device in case it is stolen. HIPAA-compliant data storage should always include encryption in order to protect patient data. Access to Sensitive Information When using a mobile device application, access to data streams should be limited. The user of the mobile device should also have limited scoped access to data based on their role. For example, someone who only needs to check and input a patient’s blood pressure probably doesn’t need to be able to access the patient’s complete medical record. Logging of Data Access and by Whom Part of making sure that data stays secure is tracking who has accessed or changed it. Your mobile app will need to have an authentication system in place, which enables you to keep a log of who accessed specific data, what time they accessed it, and whether or not they made any changes to it. It will also allow you to view the IP address of where it was viewed from. This helps keep people accountable and provides answers when data is changed or erased. User Roles and Rights The roles and rights of users need to be established before anyone is given access to the mobile application. The administrator then should have the capability to remove access to sensitive information when or if it is necessary. Granting only to people who need access to certain information helps keep data private and secure. Security and Authentication for API Access Keeping your API platform highly secure helps keep your applications and data secure. Access to your API platform needs to be highly validated in order to prevent any openings or ports that could be exploited by hackers. Clarity Can Help At Clarity, we understand how important it is for businesses to keep their patients’ and clients’ information safe and secure. Our team of expert developers is well-versed in HIPAA and has performed healthcare mobile app development that complies with HIPAA while enabling their staff to work from anywhere. To find out more about mobile healthcare app development or to schedule a consultation with one of our developers, call or click to contact us today!